As you know, psychoanalysis is interested in exploration of the unconscious mind in order to cure. In this respect, it applies specific techniques or methods that we intend
to present in this section. These methods were first developed by Sigmund Freud.

Below is the list of these basic methods. Some of them are further explained if you click the links that lead to corresponding articles published on this site.

- Anamnesis
- resembles perfectly to a certain extent the classical anamnesis known in the practice of general medicine. The interpretation of the biographic (personal) events during the
psychoanalytical cure may settle the neurotic frame of the individual's psychopathology. Learn

- Free Associations Method - This method replaced hypnosis in Freud's
therapy. It consists in gathering the free associations provided by the patient during the cure. These associations points to the inner conflicts and repressed drives included in neurotic symptoms. Learn more...

- Interpretation of Freudian Slips and Mistakes
- This is a remarkable contribution of Freud to the exploration of the unconscious. For most of us
the so-called "faulty acts" - as for instance lapses and slips of all kinds - have no contextual significance for our psychic life. Freud is the first
scientist to detect the significance of slips and mistakes, starting from the premise, acknowledged in practice, of the determinism of all our psychic processes. Learn more...

If you need a beginners guide to the dream method of Freud, please check our email course treating of this topic here
. You'll be amazed of how his method is up and working even today!!!

- Analysis/Interpretation of Dreams - By far the most important psychoanalytic technique, also called
the royal road to the unconscious by Freud himself, dream interpretation is considered by him an irreplaceable means to access the unconscious. The first dream ever interpreted in Freud's
style is the Irma's injection published in his Dream Interpretation (1900). Learn more...

- Analysis/Interpretation of Symbols - Symbols occur in dreams, fantasies, fairy tales and other such psychical and cultural products, and
they may be interpreted in the same way as dreams. Freud claims that most of such symbols are sexual. Learn

- Much more should be said about transference and the analysis of the transference. Still they are very difficult topics for lay man therefore we offer only a short paper dealing with this topic and several
quotes from
Freud's works. The paper may be found in our Paperstore (note that this paper is offered free with our course on what is psychoanalysis) here.

Resources - Should you need to know more about the psychoanalysis techniques, please check out our email course treating of this topic